Trusting Children: How do surveillance technologies alter a child's experience of trust, risk and responsibility?

Abstract

The growing use of new forms of surveillance technology across the day-to-day lives of children and the spaces they inhabit brings with it potential changes to childhood experience. These technologies may change the way children interact with others and the way they come to understand the world around them. This article investigates the nature of these changes by looking at the impact of new surveillance technologies on a child’s experience of trust. It aims to show that an increased surveillance presence across a child’s everyday activity may be denying children important opportunities both to trust others and to be trusted.

Child Location Tracking in the US and the UK: Same Technology, Different Social Implications

“…Since 2001, real-time location surveillance has become relatively easy and affordable with the introduction of commercial wearable applications that use geographical positioning information to provide location-based services (Rooney 2010). Despite their commercial presence, however, our recent study shows that uptake has been stagnant (Vasalou, Oostveen and Joinson 2012).…”

“…In other words, 'trust in technology is intrinsically related to the lack of trust in people' (Aas, Gundhus and Lornell 2009). Rooney (2010) asks whether the increased use of surveillance technologies on children is a response to the fact that we do not trust our children or that we do not trust others who are around them. She questions whether the use of these technologies as a form of control is an appropriate response to addressing a lack of trust or minimizing risk.…”

“…Even though using surveillance technologies for protection may be well-intentioned, it deprives children and teenagers of the possibility to extend their competence, confidence and skills and turns them into subjects of control (Marx and Steeves 2010;Rooney 2010).…”

'I had no credit to ring you back': Children’s strategies of negotiation and resistance to parental surveillance via mobile phones

“…The increasing use of surveillance methods and software to monitor and track children in both time and place reflects a global trend (Rooney 2010). At the societal level it is becoming the norm to have CCTV available in public places designed for children such as playgrounds and parks and at a local level in crèches and schools.…”

“…From the emerging research on surveillance however, we recognize that surveillance has differing facets; it is no longer just about discipline and control, but is used or perceived as a form of 'care' as well, (Rasmussen 2004;Rooney 2010). Marx and Steeves (2010) explain that parents are encouraged to buy surveillance technologies to keep children 'safe'.…”